What is hypothesis testing used for in research?

Hypothesis testing is fundamental in research as it provides a systematic method to make inferences about populations based on sample data. The primary purpose is to decide whether to accept or reject a proposed hypothesis by analyzing the evidence collected from the research.

In hypothesis testing, researchers first formulate a null hypothesis, which represents the default or status quo assumption, and an alternative hypothesis, which represents the outcome the research seeks to support. Through statistical tests, researchers assess the likelihood of observing the sample data if the null hypothesis is true. If the evidence is strong enough to suggest that the null hypothesis is improbable, it is rejected in favor of the alternative hypothesis.

This process allows researchers to make informed conclusions and is crucial for validating findings in various fields, such as psychology, medicine, and social sciences. The decision-making framework provided by hypothesis testing enables researchers to quantify uncertainty and draw insights from their studies.